Vigilance OGM is a Quebec non-profit organization whose activities are very close to my heart. It is a network of farmers, environmentalists, consumers and citizens, all concerned about what we eat and the impact of the production methods of genetically modified crops on human and environmental health. The work of Vigilance OGM is based on the importance of the right to know, transparency and the application of precautionary measures wherever possible, a set of guiding principles they work with in all areas related to GMOs.

What test? I wanted to participate in this campaign developed by Vigilance OGM to help raise awareness about the widespread and standardized use of pesticides in our food production culture.

When? I volunteered to participate following an appeal launched by this organization in August 2019.

Why? The use of pesticides in Quebec and Canada is in my opinion far too deregulated. We, the consumers, have very little objectively scientific information on the real and long-term side effects that these chemicals have on our health, our digestive system and on all the surrounding biodiversity affected by the use of pesticides.

The image you see above essentially represents my ID card in this campaign. It states my name, my profession & where I live. In bold below it reads ‘LEVELS OF GLYPHOSATE IN URINE – Results pending‘. On the second card, I was asked in August 2019 to detail my eating habits and the card reads ‘What are your general eating habits? What approximate proportion of your chosen foods is organic?‘ and my answer below reads ‘Vegan for 1 year. 75 – 100% Organic.’ Next I was asked ‘Concerning the beverages you choose to consume (juice, wine or beer), what proportion of those chosen beverages is organic?‘ and my answer reads ‘I no longer drink alcohol or very rarely do and all beverages consumed are 100% Organic at all times.’

The results of this glyphotest will be announced soon. In the meantime, here is the trailer and information to watch ‘MODIFIED’, a documentary film by Aube Giroux that deeply moved me and thanks to which I learned a lot on the topic:

Updated on June 20th 2020

RESULTS OF THE GLYPHOTEST

Glyphosate and pesticides are omnipresent in our environment and have now found their way into our bodies. For the first time in Quebec, Vigilance OGM conducted a urine test analysis for 40 citizens, including public personalities, who voluntarily stepped forward to participate in the study to find out if they were contaminated with glyphosate. 65% of us do have traces of glyphosate in our urine. Omnivores, vegetarians, children, adults, from the city or the countryside, etc. : nobody is safe according to the results. For my part, no trace of glyphosate was found in my urine, which came as a great relief and is now a powerful incentive to keep to the strictly organic, GMO-free and therefore pesticide-free, food decisions that I’ve applied in my life since March 2019.

Discover the individual results of each Glyphotest participant here (Content available only in French)

Journalist Daphné Cameron also offers a very interesting portrait of this awareness campaign in ‘Un pesticide jusque dans vos urines‘ (La Presse, June 17, 2020. Content available only in French).

In Quebec, the agricultural landscape is teeming with inspiring initiatives just waiting to take hold and grow. The political will however, to systematically nurture and support that growth, is lacking. And so it is up to us to demand radical change to sustainably protect our agriculture, our environment and our health. Today, we have the unique opportunity to improve our agricultural model in order to become less dependent on pesticides. For my part, I personally believe that glyphosate is a silent killer, in the long term, like many other pesticides used in our fields, a carcinogen that attacks our kidneys, our liver and our nervous system, not to mention the harmful effects this toxic substance has on all surrounding wildlife and nature (‘Pesticides: la rivière aux horreurs‘, La Presse, 21 September 2019. Content available only in French).

I leave you with Dr Éric Notebaert, Emergency Medicine Doctor, Toxicology Researcher and Vice-President of the Quebec Association of Physicians for the Environment (AQME), who elaborates here on the problem of acceptable standards for pesticides in drinking water (Content available only in French).